The Age of Discovery

From about 1600 to about 1700

During the Age of Discovery, European countries were rapidly expanding their exploration of the world, making not only geographic discoveries, but material discoveries as well.

Note: This timeline presents events in the history of alcohol and drinking during the Age of Discovery, about 1600 to about 1700, in chronological order. When events are listed as having occurred within a period of time, such as 1680s, they are listed before more specifically dated events, such as 1680.

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Seventeenth Century

Sparkling wine was produced. It first occurred in England when still wine from Champagne was stored in cellars over the winter and underwent a secondary fermentation. It was called “brisk champagne” and appeared in the English language in 1664. Although the French considered bubbles in wine to be sacrilege and sought to avoid their formation,3 the English preferred them. Contrary to popular belief, Dom Perignon did not invent sparkling wine. To take advantage of its popularity, around 1668, he used strong bottles, invented a more efficient cork (and one that could contain the effervescence in those strong bottles), and began developing the technique of blending the contents. However, another century would pass before problems, especially bursting bottles, would be solved and sparkling Champagne would become popular.4

Except for several tribes in the Southwest, Native North Americans did not have alcohol beverages before their introduction by Europeans in the 1600s. The Apache and Zuni drank alcoholic beverages which they produced for secular consumption, while the Pima and Papago produced alcohol for religious ceremonial consumption. Although Papago consumption was heavy, it was limited to a single peaceable annual ceremony and the drinking among other groups was also infrequent and not associated with any drinking problems.5

Cultivation of hops began in Massachusetts, and both brewing and distilling were legislatively encouraged in Maryland.6

Rum was in demand because, as had been observed by the Portuguese two centuries before, sub-Saharan Africa was populated by drinkers.” 7

During the seventeenth century Franciscus Sylvius (or Franz de la Boe), a professor of medicine at the University of Leyden, distilled spirits from grain.8

In the "Triangle Trade," rum was traded for West African slaves, who were then traded to the West Indians for more molasses to be made into more rum. This three point trading arrangement became a part of colonial commercial life and prosperity.9

Almost every important town from Massachusetts to the Carolinas had a rum distillery to meet the local demand, which had increased dramatically. Rum was often enjoyed in mixed drinks, including flip. This was a popular winter beverage made of rum and beer sweetened with sugar and warmed by plunging a red-hot fireplace poker into the serving mug.10

The Virginia colonists continued their traditional belief that alcoholic beverages are a natural food and are good when used in moderation. Beer arrived with the first colonists, who considered beer essential to their well being.11

Colonial Connecticut required each town to ensure that a place could be made available for the purchase of beer and ale.12

Tavern owners in the American colonies were expected not only to disperse food, drink, and hospitality, but also to monitor behavior and keep their customers in check.13

Tavern owners in the American colonies typically enjoyed high status in the community, as indicated by the early records of Harvard. There, where names of students were listed according to the social position of their fathers, tavern owner's sons preceded those of the clergy.14

“Beer brewing was one of the earliest industries in colonial America.”15

”While distilling industries were slow to develop, they expanded in the mid-to-late seventeenth century. The rise in distilling industries was driven in part by the expansion of sugar production in the Caribbean, which provided an enormous base material (molasses) for local Caribbean distillers as well as distillers in Europe and North America.”16

The Dutch promoted major innovations in wine production ; the fortification of wine (otherwise, most wines lasted a year or less), the use of sulphur to sanitize wine barrels, and the late harvesting of grapes.17

The early American colonists made alcohol beverages from, among other things, carrots, tomatoes, onions, beets, celery, squash, corn silk, dandelions, and goldenrod.18

1600

A temperance society was founded in Hesse, Germany. Its members pledged not to drink more than seven glasses of wine at a meal no more than two times per day. They also pledged to refrain from “full guzzling” for two years after their initiation.19

1602

In Europe ”There was a severe, a cold April, a hailstorm in the summer. The wine was scarce and of poor quality. In this year, there was a plague in the Palatinate, through Saxony and Prussia.”21 The scarcity of wine may have forced people to drink less healthful and sanitary liquids.

1606

English Parliment passed “The Act to Repress the Odious and Loathsome Sin of Drunkenness.”22

1608

Bushmills, the oldest whisky currently distilled in the world, was founded in Ireland.23

1609

“In order to stem the tide of mortality, the governor and the council of Virginia advertised in 1609 for two brewers.”24

A statute was passed in England to punish “the inordinate and esxtreme vice of excessive drinking and drunkenness.”25

1614

1618

1619

1620-1776

During the first century and a half (1620-1776) of the American colonies that became the U.S., alcohol was widely and heavily used. Alcohol was viewed positively while its abuse was condemned. "In 1673, [Puritan minister] Increase Mather praised alcohol, saying that 'Drink is in itself a creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness.'"29

1620

As the Puritans loaded provisions onto the Mayflower before casting off for the New World, they brought on board more beer than water.30

The Pilgrims may have landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, rather than continue sailing because they were running out of supplies, especially beer.31

A brewery was one of Harvard College's first construction projects so that a steady supply of beer could be served in the student dining halls.32

1627

A fine and whipping was imposed on anyone operating an ale-house without a license.33

1629

1630

The first attempt to impose prohibition in the New World occurred when Governor John Winthrop of Massachusetts attempted to outlaw all alcoholic beverages in Boston.35

1631

Holland ordered the closing of all inns and taverns during worship hours and after 9:00 at night.36

Cir. 1633

“The modern wine bottle was an English invention, its creator Sir Kenelm Digby [1603-1665]....” and “For the first time since the fall of Rome, Europe had the technology to age wine.” 37 “In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, hand-blown glass bottles began to surpass ceramic vessels as the primary means of alcohol storage and transport.”38

1634

1642

The “West India Company built a brewery on a lane that became known as ‘Brouwers Straet’” in what is now Manhattan in New York City.40

1643

A traveller in Poland described heavy drinking there as a national failure.41

1645

“In 1645, the Massachusetts General Court forbade ordinary keepers ‘to suffer anyone to be drunk or drink excessively, or continue tippling above the space of half an hour in any of their said houses.”42

1652

1655

1657

By 1657, a rum distillery was operating in Boston. It was highly successful and within a generation the manufacture of rum would become colonial New England's largest and most prosperous industry.49

1660

Claret [i.e., red Bordeaux wine] was the most popular wine in Scotland and England at the beginning of the Restoration.50

1662

Maryland passed a law to promote the establishment of inns with a monopoloy on alcohol sales within a specific geographic area. It was intended to promote innkeeping, brewing, distilling, travel and commerce.51

1663

Russia reinstituted the kabak alcohol concession system after the reforms of Tsar Alexis’ resulted in a significant decline in revenue to the state.52

The first brand-name wine (wine sold as the product of a specific estate in France) was produced since ancient Egypt.54

1666

In Germany, Saxony-Gotha enacted an ordinance outlawing public drunkenness and specified a fine as punishment for any violation.55

1672

An author reported that “In Dublin where there are about4.000 families, there are at one time 1,180 ale-houses and 91 public houses.”56

A Massachusetts law prohibiting payment of wages in the form of alcohol resulted in a labor strike.57

1673

An ineffective petition was made to Parliment for legislation to prohibit brandy, coffee, rum, tea and chocolate “for theese greatly hinder the consumption of Barley, Malt, and Wheat, the product of our land.”58

1675

Massachusetts established the office of tithingman to report alcohol violations in homes.59

1678

In Portugal, it was discovered that if enough brandy is added to wine before the end of fermentation, the fermentation stops, leaving some of the natural sugar in the wine.60

1680s

Beer was the major drink of the English and consumption rose throughout the decade to 104 gallons per capita for the entire population.61

1680

William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania, operated a commercial brewery in Philadelphia.62

A daily ration of rum was issued to sailors in the British Navy from 1655 until 1970.63

1685

War broke out between Britain and France and King Charles II banned the importation of French wine.64

1686

1690

England passed "An Act for the Encouraging of the Distillation of Brandy and Spirits from Corn" and within four years the annual production of distilled spirits, most of which was gin, reached nearly one million gallons.66

The Bank of England was formed to help the country fund wars. The bank's shareholders lent the government money knowing that they could guarantee returns based on the potential revenue from taxes on alcohol.67

1693

In Massachusetts, Puritan minister Cotton Mather wrote Wo to Drunkards and the next year blamed growing irreligiosty on excess drinking.68

William and Mary enacted heavy duties to discourage French wine trade and light duties to encourage Portuguese wine trade.69